Self-cleaning plate feeder



July 4,1944.

' H R. PATTERSON 2,353,067 SELF-CLEANING PLATE FEEDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 8, 1943 ANN -vE -Toe: H RRY E.PATTEE5ON, BY

HTTY

y 1944. H. R. PATTERSON SELF-CLEANING PLATE FEEDER Filed Jul 8, 1943 2 She ts-Sheet 2 /NVENTOE 1' H EEY E. PATTERSON,

Patented July 4, 1944 Harry ,lgettersomncolrlmbus, Ohib, assignor th The Jeffrey Minufact'uring \Company a corpo- Applicatidhlilltly8; 1943 i'isenial 'N e 4%,8753

" Fema e. ((11.198-22'7) Thissinvefiti'ofi relates 15b ia'z plefie feeder. object-20f thevin ventirm 'to 'rzrrmizrle? 1a rilzte feeder: rs self efemmg'iiwthsit 113F151 imacterial' meyrbememeveditherefmmr Alfurtherbbiirectmrtlre rnverrti'on isrte pnovide iInprtJved"-'plate feeder? "inwwhi'e r ennveybr meehamsmr 'sueir asr an endless chainvisempwyed tonaidnthe feedfnlgmpenat'wnvprvdueed by fresiprecatiorri'df "flfifEEdEFPflEEB er deck arrdfinMuu'eh the": feeder be substantially? "completely cleanednfz muteriah l 'Gther- ODjECtSF fthie". 1 inventirm will appear hereinaiten;them evel feitmes: and combinations beingrseteforth -in this-appended "claims;

:ln -thesaoeompamymgr I Fig. 1 1's -a -side elevational-vview 'ef -m-"nsta-1la= tiondneludingmydnventions I Fig-z 2-isoa IrIenlarged transverse seetienak'view taken :omthe: line 2 4: efirFigs L-leoki-ng in- Ethe directiomeflthe arrowsg: v Figr 31 lseam emerged seetizmal elevatienal- -view of the ear endmf a eenveyor-er myinventiona' Figs P is*anHenlarged-seeti'om amd-elevat'ional View 0 thezdisehargerend of the eenveyor;- Fig: 5" arhenleirgedsectiofiad"pian'wiewof the discharge end or the: conveyor; taken'a'omthedine 5 5: ofrFig: 1* vluokirrgi irr the flirection 'of-"the arrowsqzand Figa fi is mend wiew' of the-"bdttomfiperfiorr at the rear end (if the conveyor takenomthe dine fi fifif-Fig. 11 Qf BhGmTaWmESE 'It is "a general-characteristic:fifz'eeiproeating pain 01: plate wem eyorsr that faren'et :Se-if cleaning and as arccinsequeneerthey"arerailways left with em appreciable 'ameunt of meteriailonthem: Themenveyormflmy invention is substan' tie-11w entireiawself-eleaning and addition to the seIfieleaningcharaacteristies;:thenneehamsmwhieh provides'fer this fimctien alsmappreeiablymcreases the capaeity-- ef the eonveyorr 1 A Referringi'partleularly to Figs-Ami filtleth'a'w ings the 'selfmleaming eclnv'eyer fieederbfi nry' invention: is shewr-r in on, typical installation; ih being understood that: theifeeder orconveyor titans? As illustrateddn said :Figwl; there-is proar pft HI "may? be'er peused concrete monolith amdwv-iflehr-is iflustrated :asisituated be low the mils H 0f-a' -railwamvsai-d%:rai1sr=l-i being supported Over "the: pit l fl by" means: 0f i beams Mounted: transversely err-the: rails" *H iamd 'rbeamsflt and rigidly attaohed to and supported bwthe' lattesris w ::nmim=-frame H 3 ofw the pi'ate feeder. Saidmaimframe t3wisrfermewby-a =paiv of spaced longitudinallyextending hopperfarm ing side plates 14; Said side platesffl fife fl tac'hew at 'their :t'ops tofi'tla'e bettomgof the I- be'ams t2. Adfiecent their bettormr' th1e*"side plates H "are "providedrwithi lezrgitudmally' 'ex tending angle memlders '15 which areTigictIy at; t'ai'dhed tU'said side plates -""aI1d""cbrIstitu-te= a)n importantpartr orfit'he'msasin frame. The: feeding mapper I includes a;=- 's10pin=g rear end plate 16 "whielrri's connectedr along its edges td the sid'e .p1ate's-? fi eman-preferably 'exteh'ds up to s positionfadjacent the tops "'ofthe l 'beams l2" Where it i'sssupperre'c r h s transversely ex: tetidingwbbd beam It wh te xren-ds' saross the top of the pit. Th'e' r6rwara 1ate=- Y seen 'at' I=8' ar1d itextendsframe extendin -weed beam 1'9 arrdtermifi'atsradiacent 'the tops or the side plates 1 l'v sci that" the material can pass freely under it to t1re=uis charge end of the 'cdnvey'o'r or "feedr- 'whi*chm Fig 1 o'f'the drawings is'seen at theri'ght hfld endth'ereof."

The deck or feed" plate or the conveyor is in the form of *a 'trtiu'gh' 'ifwfifeh; aiS Best i trated in Fig. 2 df the-drawingsjextends 11' tud'inaIIy belbw" the side plates 14 and theflvertical flanges of the angle members l5 so' that ma;- te'ria'l received in, the hopper form ed by the side plates I 4, therealr"or'end plate |'6"an'd thepl'ate 1a,. is" received 'ahdi' supportedby saidfbbt'tbm' feeder plate 20f The flanged. edges of 'the'plate 20. overlap the anglemembe'rs' IS on the ou'ts'id'e's thereof sufficiefitly' to" prevent any loss or mfa te'rial, but'provi'd'e' for free reciprocationroffthe plate .20 withirespeet to the stationary main frame andhhopperr forming.- pl-ates above-adescribed, v ,Y

Themottom plate-2 0' supported by virtue er spaced-short rails-2:1 which-ride on spaced wheels or" rollers--22 there being two of: such: wheels '22-'mdunted-en each-oftwo axles 23 The-wheels 22- tumride upon. rai1-- bearing surfaces provided by---spa,ced.- bra-ekets 24 there being fQur-of such spaced-brackets conneetedin: -=pa.-irs" at spaced points adjacent the fr0nt-and rear-,:- respectively, of theplateor-troughlfla :It-=is -thus evident that the plate or trough 20 s is mounted upon four 'rollerbearin g ipo'ints; twe-adjacenbits forward' end arndw two adjacent-r its rearwardend; thus-.providirngwadequaxe support therefor while also providingtor its'etreerreeiprocatibfl.

As a llustrated best in Fig: 2 of the drawingss the brackets-"24mm: cennecte'd to the angle members I 5 adjacent their topsmndicat their bettbms 'anre 29 includes a shaft 3| which is journaled in spaced bearings carried by spaced downwardly extend' ing frame members 32 which are rigidly attached to and suspended from the side plates 14 and angle members l5. a I

As illustrated in Fig. 1 orthe drawings, the motor 26 and speed reducing mechanism 28 are mounted on a platform carried by a rearward as clearly illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings. The frame member 36 is, of course, stationary since it is rigidly attached to the stationary side plates I4.

The bottom plate of the frame member 36 is provided with a central notch 38, the rear or lefthand or bottom edge of which is provided with a bearing rod 39 which is preferably welded thereto. As clearly illustrated in Fig. 4 of' the drawings, the bottom plate of the frame member 36 slopes downwardly relative to'the plate and extends from a position slightly to the rear or the extension of the angle members l5 and adjacent this platform said angle members l5 are preferably connected by a reinforcing cross angle 33 (see Fig. 6). 1 l 1 It is well known that a plate feeder havingsa construction so far describedwill operate when reciprocated to feed material over its free end which is'the right-hand endas viewed in Fig. l of the drawings, since the material is free to move with the plate 26 as it reciprocates to the right and is held against movement so' thattheplate 29 slides under the material when the plate moves to the left due to the fact .that the material banks against the rear end plate IE or, in other words, against the rear plate of the hopper. The pres: sure of the material in the hopper also co-operates to effect this feeding action. I

A plate or reciprocating deck feederof this type, however, is'generally restricted in its practical length and most such feeders do not have a length in excess of ten or twelve feet, since for feeders of greater length the friction of material on the stationary side plates I4 approaches the friction of the material against the bottom plate, thus tending to-prevent free movement of the material as the bottom plate moves forward or to the right as viewed in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

Furthermore, such a reciprocating feeder will not clean, itself because to do this, something wouldhave to be presentlagainstwhich them ate rial would; bank as the plate 20 made its return movement or movement to theleft as viewed in r Fig. 1 of the drawings. By the apparatus which I have provided it is possiblenot only to increase appreciably the length of'the feeder, but in addi tion its capacity is materially increased, and furthermore the unit is made self-cleaning. To accomplish these results I provide conveyor mechanism preferably in the form of anendless chain 34 which rests on the bottom plate or trough 20 andthe lower or return run of which merely hangs below said plate 23 as illustrated in Fig. l of the drawings. At the rear end of the unit an arcuate guide 35 formed by apair of spaced angles which are bent in a semicircle and are intercom nected by cross-pieces, is provided to support the chain 34 and guide it around and out of the path of the eccentric 29.

Adjacent the front or discharge end of the pan 20 and mainframe I3 I provide a stationary U-shaped'frame member 36 the sides of which are rigidly attached to the side plates I4 of the main frame l3 by two pair of interconnected angle membersv 31 one pair being adjacent each side, each of said pair of angle members being bolted together and one of each pair being connected to a side plate l4 and a side member of the frame 36,

1 left of the front edge of the plate 20, to a position to the right of said plate 20. Since the plate 20 reciprocates, it is, of course, evident that the positionnf the leading or front edge thereof with respect to the frame member 36, changes during 7 operation.

The central forward or right-hand portion of the bottom plate of frame member 36 is provided with a shoe or tooth 40 having the function of a hook. Since said shoe, tooth or hook 40 extends in the space between adjacent cross-members of the chain 34, it will hook on to said cross members and prevent return movement of the chain 34 with the plate 20. However, the chain 34 is' free to move forwardly or to the right with the plate 20 and consequently the chain 34 will travel in a step by step manner along the plate'20 as said plate 20 reciprocates, since during the forward travel the chain 34 will be advanced sufficiently to move it at least a distance equal to one link of the :chain 34 and thus carry the chain 34 forward so that for successive reciprocations the chain will be advanced a distance equal to one link thereof with respect to theplate 20. N

In the operation of the device, material, of which coal is a good illustration, will be fed to the hopper provided by the walls l4, l6 and l8 and delivered to the bottom plate 20. The plate, deck or trough 20 will reciprocate since it is driven by the drive mechanism including motor 23 etc. As the deck or plate 20 movesto the right during each reciprocation, the material, such as coal, will move freely with it except for some retarding influence due to the stationary side walls l4.

For the reverse or left'hand travel of the plate 20 the material will slide over the plate due largely to the fact that said material will be banked against therear end plate [6 and due to the pressure of the material holding it down. .The material will be further held against rearward movement of the plate 20 due to the friction created by the chain 34 since said chain 34 will be held against rearward movement with the plate or deck 20 by virtue of the fact that it is hooked to the shoe or tooth 40. As a consequence, the plate 20 will slide rearwardly or to the left, as viewed in Fig. 1, beneath the material and chain 34. During the subsequent travel of the plate or deck 20 to the right or in' feeding direction, the material and the chain 34 will move substantial" ly as a unit with said plate or deck 20, and the cross-member of the next succeeding link of chain 34 will be hooked over the shoe or tooth'40.

In addition to the fact that the chain 34 thus increases the conveying action of the plate feeder and thus makes possible an extension of the maximum permissible overall length of such a conveyor, it has the further function of providing a clean-out device in that substantially all the material may be conveyed from the plate or deck 20 since the chain 34 will supply the necessary friction to hold the material against reverse travel or movement with the plate20.

In this connection it is, of course, evident that for the final cleaning out of the feeder, the retarding influence of the rear end plate l6 and the pressure on the material will be lost since in the final operation of cleaning out, the material will be moved progressively to the'right of said end plate [6 or, in other words, toward the discharge end of the feeder. It is because of this loss of a banking plate, in the absence of the chain 34 or its equivalent, that it is impossible to clean out the plate feeder by its own reciprocation.

It may be further pointed out that, as illustrated in the drawings, the plate feeder discharges into the boot of elevating conveyor 4| which is merely one possible type of receptacle to 1. In combination, a conveyor including a material supporting deck, means for reciprocating said deck to convey material relative to said deck, and scraper conveyor mechanism including an endless chain traveling over said deck for conveying material thereover.

2. A conveyor including a bottom plate, means for feeding material to said plate and banking it against one end, means for reciprocating said plate to feed said material from said banked position, and chain conveyor mechanism operable over said plate in steps as said plate is reciprocated to convey material thereover.

3. A conveyor including a bottom plate, means for feeding material to said plate and banking it against one end, means for reciprocating said plate to feed said material from said banked position, and chain conveyor mechanism operable over said plate to convey material thereover.

4. In a reciprocating feeder, a deck, means for feeding material to said deck, means for reciprocating said deck, and chain means extending along said deck and held against reciprocation therewith in one direction for aiding the feeding of material from said deck.

5. A conveyor including a main frame, a bottom plate mounted for reciprocation relative thereto, means for reciprocating said bottom plate, a chain on said bottom plate and movable in one direction therewith, and hook means carried by said main frame for holding said chain against movement as said bottom plate moves in the reverse direction.

6. A conveyor including a main frame, a bottom plate mounted for reciprocation relative thereto, means for reciprocating said bottom plate, a chain on said bottom plate and movable in one direction therewith, and hook means for holding said chain against movement as said bottom plate moves in the reverse direction.

7. A conveyor including a main frame, a bottom plate mounted for reciprocation relative thereto, means for reciprocting said bottom plate, a chain on said bottom plate and movable in one direction therewith, and means for holding said chain against movement as said bottom plate moves in the reverse direction.

HARRY R. PATTERSON. 

